Lancashire Lad Gooseberry Bushes - Chris Bowers Lancashire Lad Gooseberry Bushes Red fruited Old fashioned varieties A mid-season to late variety that grows best on good soil. Heavy cropping with resistance to Mildew. Well flavoured, red fruits. £9.45 UK mainland delivery is charged at £8.95. Sending a tree through the post isn't easy, so our parcels are expertly packed to keep your goods in the best condition. There is no surcharge on the delivery of larger parcels/orders. Tree size as supplied varies but is usually between 3.5' - 4.5' on despatch. A few varieties might be slightly smaller, some a little bigger, of course it does vary but this is a good average. WE SUPPLY YOUNG TREES - and are proud to do so. Although we are sometimes requested to supply older/bigger trees, the percieved advantages are outwighed by disadvantages! Older trees take longer to establish and will fruit no more quickly. The young trees we send out grow away and establish so quickly and healthily & often yield within 1 season of planting. Our customers even report fruits the first year of planting!

All professional fruit growers prefer to plant young trees rather than older. Our soft fruit bushes are usually 2 years old. Everything is stringently graded, grown on the nursery and well packed! No need to be in - You can request your parcel to be left in a safe place, or stipulate an alternative delivery address, at the checkout. Free 16 page booklet with every order dealing with all aspects of fruit growing. Gold Standard Health & Quality We have in place very rigorous standards for the health, providence and uniformity of all our fruiting plants & trees. Our Nursery and the stock we grow is inspected and passported for health regularly by DEFRA experts [formerly the Ministry of Agriculture] and we have in place our own stringent controls and inspection programmes to ensure our fruiting bushes and trees are the best, most disease free stocks available and truly beyond compare. We always propagate from certified stock where this exists and have the highest standards regarding providence and grading. If only the very best will do - as it should - then you can rely on a Chris Bowers fruiting plant to give the most exemplary results available. We firmly believe that only the very healthiest stock can and does produce vastly superior results - and it shows.

Our Guarantee We are proud of each & every plant & tree we despatch from our Nursery. If it fails to thrive or live up to your expectations we will replace or refund it. This is in addition to your statutory rights. We may rarely ask for details of care and cultivation given to it, or arrange for a return of the item for inspection, to assist in our own programme of improvement. Sign Up to Receive Remarkable Gooseberry Crops | Gardeners Tips Remarkable Gooseberry Crops By hortoris on July 24, 2014 in Fruit, Vegetables & Herbs Sweet or sharp and sour the gooseberry is a remarkable soft fruit. Summer 2014 has been a remarkable year for the size of my crop and the freezer is bulging (like my waste from numerous crumbles). Gooseberry Summary Top Tips Plants prefer a cool climate and will withstand a windy position with light well drained soil. Do not feed excessive nitrogen which encourages mildew. Water with a liquid feed as the fruit start to set – this increases berry size and limits splitting. Fruit appear on new and old wood so aim for a balance between the two.

Varieties are classified by the colour of the fruit as Red, Green, White and Yellow. At home you may want a mix of kinds. Gooseberry Calendar Bushes fruit in June and/or July Take cuttings in September, Prune cordon shoots in March but reshape and reinvigorate by pruning in winter. Plant new bushes in November or March if the soil is very heavy. Varieties come in early, mid season and late (examples Early Sulphur, Gunner, Lancer) What a grand way to grow Gooseberries ‘up a stick’ (or Cordon). Trained like ballerina apples this Gooseberry variety London was grown as one vertical trunk. Gooseberry London has very large oval fruit with a smooth skin. The flavour is good and is normally a spreading bush but it makes few branches. It is renown as heavy yielding as can be seen below from a 1st June photo below. Planting Layout for Legs or Cordons Two rows one meter apart were created by 3 very stout posts 4’6″ above the ground and a similar distance apart. Vine wire was strung between the posts to create a rigid support.

Two cordon plants supported by their own cane were placed between each post (4 per row). The Gooseberries grew 5-6 feet tall and were pruned to have only one main vertical stem. Other growth is pruned out in March to channel energy into fruiting. Despite some Saw Fly damage the quantity and quality of fruit was exceptional. Double cordons can also be grown in a similar manner This style of growing makes picking much easier as there is little bending and there are far fewer prickles to get under your skin (or tear it to shreds for that matter). My Gooseberries grown as sprawling bushes are giving a good crop this year but I like the economy of space and the benefits of this training system so I will give it a try. Gooseberry Tips Gooseberries are tolerant of cold windy weather and poor growing conditions but dislike shallow chalky soil. Too much nitrogen feed makes gooseberries prone to mildew attack but a manure water feed will help fruit to swell and prevent cracking. November planting is advisable as fruiting is early in the season but if the soil is too heavy and not well drained March planting will suffice. Gooseberries enjoy partial shade and can be used as a windbreak so they are doubly useful fruit trees to grow.

For something a bit different try growing Gooseberry Langley Gage with a small transparent berry of exceptional sweetness. Sawfly can be a problem eating all the leaves within a week. Pick off as soon as you see them or use an insecticide. Some varieties are more prone to mildew. Prune to have an open shape to let in air or grow a resistant variety Gooseberry shrubs can be raised from new wood cuttings 6-10″ in length. September is the recommended time but I seem to get cuttings even from summer prunings. Gooseberry Invicta Gooseberries are fine soft fruit and in line with my plan to grow more fruit I have just bought a new shrub of the Invicata variety. It is said to have large green fruits and be mildew resistant. I will test the mildew resistance to the limits as I threw out 4 large bushes some years ago because they were perennially invested with mildew and a resulting black deposit on the fruit. My local nursery wil not have any other varieties on offer until March when I may buy some more shrubs but as each plant will produce about 3 pounds of fruit I will already get enough for pies, fools and freezing.

More Cultivation Tips Prune in spring by cutting back leading shoots by about one third. Aim to have an open centre to allow air to circulate and make picking easier. Use prunings to root new plants – they root quite easily but take a couple of years to fruit. Feed 2oz. of Potash fertilizer at the end of February. Avoid an excess of nitrogen fertilizer as in makes soft growth prone to mildew . Mulch around the shrubs and protect from tits and finches if they nip out new shoots. Each bush should be 4-5 feet apart. If growing as cordon they can be as close as 1 foot apart. Gooseberries can be trained as half standards or with legs like the photo. Other varieties to try include Keepsake, Early Sulphur, May Duke, Hinnomaki Green, Green Gem, Jubilee, Careless, Leveller and Lancashire Lad Try the dessert varieties Pax, Rockula or Whinnams Industry A good supplier of Gooseberry bushes is Chris Bowers How to grow gooseberries - Telegraph How to grow gooseberries Top tips from a head gardener and champion gooseberry grower Kelvin Archer.

Gooseberry invicta ribes Photo: ALAMY By Joanna Fortnam Comments Certain country houses have a timeless charm. By the time you've wound along a long drive through Reptonian parkland to arrive at Rode Hall, near Congleton in Cheshire, a mellow quality that positively slows down the pace of life will have stolen up on you. Rode is a family home handed down the generations and many distinguished horticulturists have passed through - in the rocky woodland dell to the west, gentleman gardener James Russell limbed up the rhododendrons and introduced scented Loderi varieties and late-flowering azaleas. The climbing roses growing through them should now be in flower. In the Sixties rose breeder Hilda Murrell contributed advice on best varieties for the rose garden. Snowdrops, introduced by Sibella Egerton in 1833, are an attraction early in the year. In June the large walled kitchen garden is at its best and is home to head gardener and champion gooseberry grower Kelvin Archer who, until 2009, held the world record for the heaviest gooseberry.

This part of Cheshire, centred on Jodrell Bank, is home to a hard core of historic gooseberry societies, whose members live and breathe local varieties and production methods - all closely guarded secrets. The Egton Bridge Old Gooseberry Society is the best known and its annual show is the apogee of the gooseberry year. Related Articles Frilly and fragrant sweet pea flowers 21 Jun 2010 Kelvin has been showing for many years and is philosophical about world records: "Growing a champion gooseberry is very hard to do, you need perfect conditions and this year there's no way the latest record [set by Bryan Nellist] will be broken. It's been too dry and flower set was too late in the year." Kelvin grows his champion plants in the walled garden at Rode Hall, all in cages and fan-trained into small trees, with 15-20 fruit on each bush. Traditional varieties for super gooseberries are 'Montrose' (Kelvin's record specimen was one of these, grown in 1993), 'Surprise' and 'Lord Derby'. For your average gardener, the gooseberry game is very different.

Kelvin also grows culinary and dessert gooseberries, which have just started cropping and should continue for three to four weeks. He grows them on naturally shaped bushes, which he prunes in November, mulches with garden compost and feeds with pelleted organic chicken manure in spring. American gooseberry mildew can be a serious problem, but Kelvin doesn't spray, not even with sulphur, the organic-approved method. "I think air circulation is the key to keeping the mildew away, keep the centre of the bush open. We get a little sometimes, it doesn't affect the crop. But some people are completely wiped out by it." For excellent flavour he likes the yellow dessert variety 'Leveller'. More on mildew Expert fruit grower Adrian Baggaley, in Nottinghamshire, has been trying mildew-resistant gooseberries. "They're not a patch on the old dessert varieties," he says. "But spraying is a must if you are growing the old ones." (Bayer Garden's Systhane Fungus Fighter is one of the few chemicals still available to amateurs.) 'Invicta' is an old, green culinary variety, very reliable and mildew resistant. "I use it for gooseberry and elderflower wine and jam.

It's a good cropper," he said. 'Pax' is a dessert variety, but not up to much in Adrian's opinion compared with 'Victoria' or 'Golden Drop', two old varieties he tried at Brogdale, home of the National Fruit Collections - "the flavour is out of this world," he says. Growing tips Adrian started off growing gooseberries as cordons, but found that a fan, trained around a cage, produces bigger, better fruit. He recommends a cage as "blackbirds are an absolute nuisance, as are robins", but if you don't have one, try fans on a south-facing wall. Gooseberries grown as standards look attractive and make picking easy, but are not ideal in a windy spot. Visiting Rode Hall Gardens open Tues, Wed, Thurs; house open Wed & BH, 2pm-5pm, until Sept. Entry house & garden: £6 adults, £5 seniors. Garden only: £4 adults, £3 seniors.

Farmers' market first Saturday each month (01270 873237; ) Recommended varieties 'Rokula' Dessert, red, resistant to mildew 'Martlet' Dessert/culinary, red, resistant to mildew 'Pax' Dessert, red, thornless, resistant to mildew 'Whitesmith' Dessert/culinary, green, resistant to mildew 'Lord Derby' Dessert/culinary, red, some resistance to mildew 'Whinhams Industry' Dessert, red, susceptible to mildew 'Invicta' Culinary, green, resistant to mildew 'Leveller' Dessert, green, susceptible to mildew 'Lancashire Lad' Dessert/culinary, red, slight resistance to mildew Gooseberry info Brogdale National Collections, Kent (01795 536250; ) Egton Bridge Gooseberry Show is on August 3. Open to the public from 2pm, St Hedda's Schoolroom, Egton Bridge, N Yorks ( ).

Gooseberry - How to Grow A Complete Guide to Planting, Pruning, Propagation and the Selection of Varieties A hardy fruit, Ribes Grossularia, which grows wild in Great Britain and Northern Europe and has been cultivated in gardens and commercial plantations since earliest days. It is the first of the hardy fruits to be ready for use, and the berries, ripe and unripe, are greatly appreciated in the home for a variety of purposes: for culinary use in almost every stage of development—bottling, jam-making, etc., and for dessert when ripe. The excellent quality and rich flavouring of berries of certain dessert varieties is still undiscovered by many. It is a most accommodating fruit in the garden, succeeding in most districts and soils without special treatment. It is well adapted to different forms of training, and by utilising fences and walls of different aspects a succession of berries may be obtained over a period of five or six months. Where to Plant The Gooseberry is hardy and will thrive in almost any position, but when possible should be grown in an open, sunny part of the garden.

In very cold, bleak gardens shelter on the north and east sides is an advantage since it affords protection against frost and cold winds in spring which might injure, the early-opening flowers and prevent good fruit setting. In deep shade the bushes are more prone to disease than when grown in the open, and low-lying, damp situation are to be avoided. Making the Soil Suitable Gooseberries thrive and crop freely when planted in any good garden soil that has been deeply dug and manured, but prefer a light loam to very heavy ground. In heavy, rich ground the growths are more susceptible to the prevalent American Gooseberry Mildew than when grown on light land, though light, sandy soil requires the addition of plenty of humus and bulky manure, to hold moisture, or the bushes suffer during hot, dry weather in spring and summer, to the great detriment of fruit and growth. Heavy clayey ground must be double dug and drained and heavily limed; the addition of lime to any garden soil which has not received a dressing for some years is advisable before planting Gooseberries. Gooseberry Bushes Gooseberries are generally grown in the garden in the form of low bushes.

It is usually found best to train the bushes with a short, clean stem, or “leg,” of 6 in. or so; this stem keeps the branches clear of the ground, facilitates cultivation and prevents “suckering.” In commercial plantations and some gardens, however, the bushes are grown “stool” fashion, without a clean stem, but with branches rising from the ground level or below. It is claimed for this type of bush that when branches die back or are broken during cultivating, etc., they can be easily and quickly replaced by strong, new growths from below ground. Amateurs find, as a rule, that the bush with the short stem before branching is the most convenient and neatest for garden planting. Bushes so trained are much easier to keep free of weeds. Cordon and Espalier Gooseberries Grown as cordons, single, double or treble stemmed, Gooseberries succeed admirably. Planted along the path-side or border edge the cordon trees take up very little space, produce excellent quality fruit, are easily cultivated and protected from birds, and are neat and decorative.

Also they may be grown as fan-trained trees and flat bushes to form a hedge round the garden or plot, the spiny branches and shoots being trained to a wire trellis and forming an impenetrable yet pleasing and fruitful hedge. Cultivation on a Wall When grown in the cordon or fan form against fences or walls of different aspects the Gooseberry season can be lengthened very considerably. On trees growing against a wall or fence facing south berries will ripen early; on a west or east facing wall they will ripen a little later, while against a wall facing north the berries will ripen several weeks later than those growing in sunnier and warmer positions. The cordons and trained trees should be supported by securing the stems and branches to wires stretched tautly between posts, when they are planted along paths and in other positions in the open garden. Standard Gooseberry Trees Gooseberries may be trained in standard form, with a clean stem of 3 ft. or so before branching. The standard trees are decorative and useful when it is desired to grow vegetables and flowers between the bushes, but they are not usually so productive as the bushes or cordons.

The “head” of the standard tree is developed in the same way as a bush, except that it is up on a stem of 3 ft. or so instead of 6 in. or less. It may take three or even four years from the cutting stage to train up the single straight stem for the standard. How Far Apart to Plant In the open garden the bushes should be planted at least 4 ft. 6 in. apart, better if at 5 ft. with 5 ft. between the rows. Single cordon trees can be planted 1 ft. apart, double cordons at 18 in., and the fan-trained trees and bushes, to form a hedge, at 4 ft. apart. Deep digging is all the preparation for planting that most garden soils will require; but on ground not previously well cultivated a dressing of farmyard manure, leaf soil, burnt garden refuse, wood ashes, etc., should be dug in some weeks previous to planting. Basic slag may be broadcast over the ground at the rate of ½ lb. to each square yard and forked in previous to planting.

When to Plant October and November are the most suitable months for planting, but bushes may be put in any time after leaf-fall and before growth begins in spring, provided the ground is neither waterlogged nor frozen when the work is carried out. The earlier in autumn the planting is done, however, the better the results. bet365 sign up bonus australia How to Plant At planting, the bush should be set at approximately the same depth at which it was growing previously, as shown by the old soil mark on the stem. If there is no clean stem to the bush, it should be planted with the base of the lowest branches at soil level or just below. Too deep planting is a common mistake. Before the bush is planted all broken, bruised and straggling roots must be pruned off and the remainder then spread out to their fullest extent. Fine top soil must be packed tightly around and among the bunches of roots, and when all roots are just covered with soil and trodden firm a forkful of rotted manure may be put in. Finish off with the last layer of soil and again tread firmly.

In early spring a mulch of manure is spread over the ground round each newly planted bush and left on the surface to decay. The first pruning after planting is most important, particularly when small and unformed bushes are planted. With Gooseberries pruning after planting must on no account be omitted, whatever the age of the bush or time of planting. It should be carried out within a few weeks of the planting or just before buds begin to move in early spring. When a one-year-old tree is planted (twelve months after striking the cutting), to form a bush, it should be cut back to within about 6 in. of the ground level. If to form a cordon, it should be lightly “topped,” and if to form a double cordon it should be cut back to within 5 in. or 6 in. of the ground, after planting, and two strong shoots trained up the next summer to form the main, upright stems. Afterwards these two stems on the double cordon tree are treated as described for separate cordons.

When pruning two or three-year-old bushes after planting, four or five sturdy shoots should be selected to form the foundation of branches, and these are cut back from one-half to two-thirds their length, according to vigour. Throughout the training of these bushes the weaker the shoot the harder should it be pruned back. Any growths and side shoots not required to form part of the main framework of branches should be cut back to within two or three buds of their base. The pruner must aim to build up a well-balanced, open-centred bush with about eight stout, evenly-spaced branches, arranged almost cup-shaped around the top of the short stem. At the next pruning, in the autumn following, there will be two or three strong shoots from each of the long growths cut back in the previous year. The leader shoot terminating each main branch should be shortened by half or slightly less; and if there are gaps in the framework of branches, well-placed shoots may be trained in—and shortened by about half their length—to fill up. All other young growths not required should be cut back to within two or three buds of their base.

On the newly-planted cordon trees all side shoots must be cut back to two or three buds and the leading shoot at the end of the stem shortened by about one-third its length. Pruning Established Bushes Established Gooseberry bushes are best pruned soon after the leaves fall in autumn. When birds make a habit of pecking the buds in winter, however, pruning may profitably be postponed until late in winter, so that damaged growths may be pruned out and the sound shoots left in. Gooseberries bear fruit at the base of very short spurs along the branches and on stout young shot of the preceding year’s growth. Pruning must be sufficiently severe to induce plenty of sturdy growth and a system of “spurring” practised to encourage the formation of spurs along the main branches. A very sharp pruning knife or keen-bladed secateurs must be used, as the shoots are tough to cut, and stout gloves should be worn to protect the hands against the spiny growths.

Details of Pruning In the main, pruning consists of shortening all crowded, ill-placed laterals or side shoots, especially those crowding the centre of the bush, to within two or three buds of their base, leaving well-placed, sturdy young shoots practically full length wherever there is ample room. The leading shoot extending each main branch should be shortened by about one-half or one-third, according to vigour. Growths drooping near the ground should be cut back to a bud on the top side of the shoot so that the future growth from that point is directed upwards, off the ground. Certain varieties are of marked drooping growth and produce many long, arched shoots which hang near the ground. These growths must be cut to a bud on the top side to correct the drooping tendency and encourage more erect habit. When dealing with aged or neglected bushes, the pruner should aim to replace old, weakly branches with young growths. One or two strong new shoots from the base of the bush may be left in, as required, for this purpose then faulty, worn-out branches can be cut away as opportunity occurs and strong new growths left in to take their places.

If this cutting out of old branches is practiced systematically, taking out an aged branch from each bush every year or so, then the bushes will be almost fully rebuilt over a period of years and completely rejuvenated. Pruning Cordons With cordon trees the pruning required each year is simply to cut back all side or lateral shoots to two or three buds, and shorten the leader at the end of each main stem by about one-third. On the fan-shaped trees, stout young shoots may be left in practically full length wherever there is room against the wires for training in; others are cut hard back. Summer pruning should be carried out each year, to admit full light and sun to all parts of the bush and to strengthen fruiting buds; this treatment results in healthier growth and more and finer fruits. Pruning in summer is a convenient way of ridding bushes of mildewed and pest-infested parts. This pruning should be carried out in July; all misplaced and crowded side shoots along the branches and cordon stems are shortened to within four or five leaves of their base, taking care to miss none growing down near the ground or threatening to choke the centre of the bush.

Well-placed, stocky shoots here and there along the branches should be left unshortened, to bear fruit the next summer. The leading shoot at the end of each branch or stem must on no account be cut back at all until the winter pruning. Strong sucker growths from the base of the bush should be removed, saving one or two only as required to replace worn-out branches removed at the winter pruning following. All pieces of growth removed at the summer pruning must be collected and burned immediately in the interests of pest and disease control. Best Manures for Gooseberry Bushes Gooseberries must be treated generously in the matter of manuring and the soil kept in a high state of fertility if the bushes are to produce large crops of good berries and healthy growth each year. The actual manurial requirements will depend upon the type of garden soil the bushes are grown in, but they respond remarkably to farmyard manure on most soils. This is best applied in the form of a surface mulch laid round each bush in late winter or early spring, or may be applied in autumn and at once forked into the top soil.

Organic manures—shoddy, fish meal, crushed hoofs, hop manure, etc., form a valuable dressing on light, sandy soil. Basic slag (½ lb. per square yard) may be applied in autumn to heavy soils, or bonemeal (2 oz. per square yard) in spring, where organic manures are not available in sufficient quantity. Well-rotted compost makes a good surface mulch. A Cause of Failure Most important, Gooseberries must be well supplied with potash. Shortage of this valuable food is the reason for innumerable failures in small gardens. Wood ashes, stored dry and applied in autumn and spring are helpful, but best results are obtained by giving a dressing of sulphate of potash at the rate of 2-3 oz. to each square yard of ground occupied by the bushes, in February or March each year. If fine dessert berries are required, applications of liquid manure at intervals during summer months will be found of great value.

Frequent applications of well-diluted manure water should be given rather than one or two applications of strong liquid, and if the ground is dry at the time, it should be given a good watering with clear water before the liquid manure is applied. Thinning the Fruits The crowded berries on heavy cropping bushes and trees must be thinned early by making successional pickings. When the early picking of green berries for culinary use is commenced—and this may constitute the first “thinning “—it is a mistake to strip a whole branch or bush at once. To snake the most of the crop the pickings should be spread over several weeks. At the first picking, berries should be taken from the branches hanging near to the soil, where they would be spoiled by rain-splashed soil. Then pick off the most forward berries from the crowded clusters, not leaving them to hang more thickly in one part of the bush than another. Next branches in the sunless centre of the bush, where berries would have a poor chance to ripen properly, should be stripped, leaving the best-placed fruits more or less evenly distributed over the other branches for gathering when properly ripened.

Protection from Birds In some gardens birds do great damage to Gooseberries each year by pecking the buds during winter and early spring; in some cases all chance of a good crop of fruit is entirely ruined. The best and surest safeguard against this danger is to cover the bushes with small mesh netting, or to grow them inside a permanent wire or netting cage. Many gardeners find that spraying the bushes with a wash distasteful to the birds, as lime-sulphur, quassia wash, paraffin and soap, etc., affords protection. In wet weather, however, a second or even third spraying must be made for heavy rains quickly wash off the taint from the buds. Probably the best method of protecting the buds—where netting or a permanent cage is inconvenient—is to envelope the bush or cordon tree with strands of black cotton or thread wound from twig to twig and branch to branch. The birds are then immediately scared off. Only a few minutes are required to envelope the bush with a network of strands if the reel is clipped to a stick or cane and the cotton is played out fishing-rod fashion, the cotton unwinding as rapidly as the stick can be passed over the bush.

The netting or cottoning may be required to safeguard ripening berries against raiding birds, also. When netting is employed it must be suspended clear of the branches and young shoots, or the shoots will be damaged and the birds will be able to reach the tempting berries through the net. The Best Gooseberries Some of the most reliable varieties for general garden cultivation are: Green-fruited: Lancer, Keepsake, and Green Gem. Red-fruited: Lancashire Lad, Warrington and Whinham’s Industry. Yellow-fruited: Leveller and Cousen’s Seedling. White-fruited: Careless and Whitesmith. The best large-fruited varieties for exhibition purposes include: Lancer, Stockwell and Keepsake (green); Crown Bob, Dan’s Mistake, Lancashire Lad, London and Lord Derby (red); Broom Girl, Cousen’s Seedling, Trumpeter, and Leveller (yellow); Careless, Freedom and White Lion (white). The best small-fruited, richly-flavoured kinds for dessert are: Champagne and Iron-monger (red); Golden Drop and Langley Gage (yellow).

Varieties suitable for cultivation as standards are: Keepsake, Crown Bob, Lancashire Lad, Whinham’s Industry, Leveller, Langley Gage, Careless and Whitesmith. How to Grow Big Gooseberries In Midland and Northern counties, notably in Lancashire, Gooseberries are grown to an astounding size for special exhibition, and Gooseberry Clubs, whose members compete in producing the largest and heaviest berry, still flourish in some districts. The cultural methods practiced by these growers are based largely on local custom and tradition. Every successful grower, almost, has his own special line of treatment. Briefly, the management includes severe pruning in winter and summer; generous feeding with plenty of nitrogenous and organic manure; drastic thinning of the berries—leaving only one or two on a shoot; careful watering, syringeing and applications of liquid manure. The time-honoured practice called “suckling” is followed: saucers of water are placed beneath the swelling berries almost or quite touching them, and the berries are shaded if necessary. Only large-fruited varieties are grown, of course, size being more important than quality or cropping.

The old variety London had the unique record of being the official champion berry for thirty-six years in succession. Others grown are Dan’s Mistake, Lord Derby, Superb, Leveller, Thumper, Trumpeter, and many more of local name and fame. Taking Gooseberry Cuttings The usual and best method of propagating Gooseberries is by cuttings, which strike readily in sandy loam. If the soil is heavy it must be dug deeply and a quantity of road grit, sand and leafmould added to lighten it. The best time to take the cuttings is in October, although they may be cut off and planted any time during winter. Sturdy, healthy shoots of the current year’s growth should be selected and cut off about 12 in. long. Old, weakly or diseased shoots are useless, and it is important to take cuttings only from bushes that have proved to be good croppers and are quite healthy. The shoots can be cut off at their base, close to the branch, or pulled off with a small heel of old wood attached.

The un-ripened inch or two of growth at the top should be cut off and all buds and spines with the exception of the topmost five buds must be removed, so that the bush is grown with a clean stem. If bushes without a clean stem or “leg” are required, then no buds need be removed from the cutting. The prepared cuttings should be planted in a narrow trench, about 6 in. deep, each shoot being buried about half or little more than half its length. As the cuttings are placed against the straight side of the trench and about 6 in. apart, fine soil should be drawn up round them and made firm about their base. In heavy ground plenty of sharp sand should be placed in the bottom of the trench to facilitate rooting. If cuttings are dibbled into the soil separately, instead of being planted in a trench, many failures may occur. Each row ought to be labelled with the name of the variety. After a hard frost the cuttings are liable, to become loosened and it is advisable to go round and make each one firm again, or they may dry out and die.

Once they have started growth in spring a watch must be kept for insect pests, especially aphids and sawfly caterpillars. During summer the soil must be frequently hoed to maintain a loose tilth and keep down weeds, but apart from this no special attention will be required until twelve months later, when they will be ready for transplanting to fruiting quarters in the garden. Gooseberries can be grown from seed taken from quite ripe berries and sown in the open or in pots, to raise new varieties. They may be increased also by layering, which consists of pegging down branches and covering the tops with soil in spring. The buried part roots quickly and can be detached and planted elsewhere in autumn. Propagation by suckers is sometimes practised, but is not recommended. Aphis This pest (Aphis gressulariae) mainly attacks Gooseberries, but is sometimes found on Red and Black Currants. The damage is most noticeable at the tips of the shoots and results in a shortening of the growth during the season and severe curling of the leaves so that they form a tight, twisted and crumpled mass. The small eggs are laid on Gooseberries or Currants and are shiny black.

On hatching, the wingless aphides produce living young and increase rapidly until, in late summer, winged individuals arise and fly to Guelder Rose and other species of Viburnum. Winged aphides return to the Gooseberries and Currants in the autumn to lay their eggs. This species of Aphis is much attended by ants. The bushes should be sprayed very thoroughly in December with a tar-distillate wash at 5 per cent strength (see Apple Sucker). This treatment will kill the eggs before they hatch. While it is difficult to control the aphides in the spring after leaf curling has taken place, much good may be done by early spraying or dusting with a nicotine or derris insecticide. All prunings should be burned. online casino games sic bo Magpie Moth The caterpillars of this well-known moth (Abraxas grossulariata) feed on the leaves of Gooseberries, Currants (both edible and ornamental), Apricots, Nuts, Sloe, Maple, Spindle, and several other trees. The caterpillars often completely strip all the leaves. The attractive moths have a wingspread of 1½ in.

The general ground colour is creamy-white, with prominent black spots present on the wings the body being black. Orange-yellow is present in places between the black spots on the wings. bets onlinebaccarat money The moths are found flying in July and August during the day or after sunset. The yellowish eggs are laid in batches on the leaves and from these hatch small caterpillars which are almost black. The caterpillars “loopers” and the young caterpillars are feed for a time, but the leaves wither before they are fully fed. They then seek winter quarters among the dead leaves, or under stones or other debris on the ground. Cracks in the mortar of walls are frequently selected. In spring they emerge and feed on the young foliage, and as they grow bigger rapidly strip the bushes. The caterpillars are creamy-white, marked with black and with yellow at the sides. They grow to a length of 1½ in. By the end of June they are fully fed and then turn to black pupae banded with yellow. Spraying with derris or nicotine will get rid of the caterpillars.

Gooseberry Red Spider The mites (Bryobia nobilis) attack the younger growth of Gooseberry bushes, causing the leaves, by their sucking, to curl and turn yellow. In severe cases premature leaf fall takes place, some times as early as June. Since hibernation sometimes takes place in the Gooseberry bushes, a spraying during December should be given with a tar-distillate wash at 5 per cent strength. Lime-sulphur at a strength of 1 in 100 should be applied as soon as the flowering period is over; the bushes must be thoroughly wetted, particularly the under surfaces of the leaves. Certain varieties of Gooseberry, e.g., Leveller, Golden Drop, and Langley Gage, are damaged by lime-sulphur. On these varieties a 2 percent emulsion of heavy petroleum (known as white oil) should replace the lime-sulphur. Gooseberry Sawflies The common Gooseberry Sawfly is Nematus ribesii. The larvae, or caterpillars of this pest first eat small holes in the leaves. When larger they become very ravenous and rapidly strip the bushes. Two or three broods of Sawflies occur during the year.

Sawflies first appear in April and May and lay their small whitish eggs on the under surface of the leaves, along the veins. A small slit is cut by the ovipositor of the female Sawfly (which ovipositor resembles a saw and gives rise to the name), and the egg is partly inserted into this slit. As many as fifty eggs may be laid on one leaf. bingo hall online The caterpillars are 2/3 in. in length when fully fed, and are green in colour, with black heads. Black spots and raised points are present on the body. When fully grown the caterpillars fall to the ground and spin a silken cocoon in the soil, particles of which adhere to the outside. In about two weeks the Sawflies emerge. The removal of the soil to a depth of 4 in. from beneath infected bushes during the winter will do much to deal with long-standing attacks. The earth should be burned or buried deeply. bingo live apk The active caterpillars can be got rid of by spraying thoroughly with derris. American Gooseberry Mildew This is the most troublesome disease of Gooseberries.

The felt-like white mildew, which appears in the spring on the berries and young shoots, and later turns brown, is familiar to every Gooseberry grower. online casino gambling new york state The mildew appears some time in May, as a rule, but in early seasons it may begin at the end of April. It starts on the expanding buds and the underside of the young leaves, but rapidly passes on the young berries and shoots. Only the one-year-old twigs are attacked, the older bark cannot become infected. The fruit may become distorted owing to growth of the fungus on one side; it may become cracked and is usually dwarfed. The mildew is superficial and can be scrubbed off the berries, the taste of which is not affected, and no ill-effects follow their consumption. Summer Pruning Essential It is important to prune off the diseased shoots before the spore bodies are ripe and fall to the ground, i.e., before the end of September. This process is known as “tipping,” and should on no account be neglected. Lime Sulphur Spraying The standard control measure against this disease is to spray with lime sulphur, strength 1 in 60, preferably in cloudy weather.

Three applications are desirable, just as the bushes are coming into flower, when the first fruits are set and again three weeks later. Gooseberry bushes are easily sprayed and too fine a spray should not be used. Three gallons of the liquid will do from 20 to 50 bushes according to their size. The strength stated above can safely be used on most varieties, but some gooseberries, notably Leveller, Cousen’s Seedling, Early Sulphur (Yellow Rough), and Golden Drop are sulphur-shy. Alternative sprays are colloidal or dispersible sulphur preparations, to be used to the marker’s directions, while for the sulphur-shy varieties the best spray is a solution of washing soda. For Sulphur-Shy Varieties For varieties sensitive to sulphur only washing soda can be use. This is a contact spray, leaves no deposit, and is readily washed away by rain. It can therefore be applied only in dry weather and after the mildew has appeared. Nevertheless, it has often given very good results. One to one and a half pounds of soda are dissolved in 10 gallons of water and ½ lb of soft soap added.

It is quite a common practice to spray Gooseberry bushes in the winter with Bordeaux mixture or with copper-sulphate solution, but it is very doubtful whether these have any effect on American mildew. Gooseberry Rust The Cluster Cup Rust (Puccinia Pringsheimiana), though not common, occasionally attacks gooseberries in gardens, appearing as orange-coloured patches on the leaves and fruits. These become covered with saucer-like depressions (cluster cups) after the disease spores have been released. These spores attack sedges, the alternative hosts of the disease, and the sedges in turn produce spores that infect the gooseberry. The elimination of sedges by good drainage and cultivation will safeguard the gooseberries, but if the disease becomes serious, spraying in spring as the first leaves appear, with Bordeaux mixture or a colloidal copper preparation, should be resorted to. Die-Back This disease, caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea, attacks the main branches, and occasionally the young shoots, causing them to wilt suddenly, and finally die. When this happens, the bark flakes off, to reveal the greyish tufts of the fungus.

The disease spreads from branch to branch, therefore at the first sign of wilting the branch should be cut out and burned. Badly infected bushes should be grubbed out and destroyed by burning. BBC - Gardening Blog: Designing a Berry Patch Designing a Berry Patch Post categories: berries , fruit , garden design Sally Nex | 07:00 UK time, Thursday, 27 October 2011 Most gardens have a veg patch tucked away somewhere, a strip of land set aside for spuds and beans and cabbages . It's all rather homely-sounding, with echoes of Beatrix Potter and flat caps and hoeing. Raspberry But I've had it with homely. I want a berry patch. Berry patches are altogether more luscious and indulgent. They're places of pleasure, sweetness, seduction: where every branch drips translucent red and purple jewels swollen with sugar. They're American inventions: the equivalent of our prosaic and functional fruit cage, though that doesn't come close to capturing the spirit of Huckleberry Finn adventure, of childhoods spent getting lost among the blueberry bushes with faces smeared in purple and stomachs aching with strawberries .

Designing a berry patch can be as simple or as complicated as you want. Regimented rows are easy and traditional, but uninspiring: I'm planning something altogether more elaborate, a fruitier version of a potager. In the berry patch in my head, there are blackcurrants underplanted with strawberries; gooseberries cordon-trained up one wall and a fan-trained cherry spreading its arms luxuriously across another. "Use thin 'Ballerina' pears as vertical accents to cram in as much fruit as possible." You see, berry patches can be wonderfully decorative. You can make the most of training fruit into fans, espaliers and cordons, adding step-over apples to edge beds and tall, thin 'Ballerina' pears as vertical accents to cram as much fruit as possible into a small space while creating beautiful, architectural shapes to admire in winter. Symmetrical designs for the layout, just as you'd use in a potager , are immensely pleasing: lay out beds in geometric patterns, perhaps L-shaped around a central square, or paths heading out from a circle like spokes in a wheel.

I'm planning to put a huge container in the centre of my berry patch, filled with ericaceous compost so I can grow my beloved acid-loving blueberries even though I've got alkaline soil. They make beautiful, ornamental shrubs with superb autumn colour and, of course, those smokey blue-black berries. For all their beauty and their sensual pleasures, berry patches are very easy-going. You can place them more or less anywhere in the garden, even if there's relatively little sun – most fruit bushes don't mind shade, though if you're growing strawberries or cherries you'll need some sunny patches. "If you're growing strawberries or cherries you'll need some sunny patches." And they're so practical: you can protect all your fruit at the same time with a netting cage to keep out marauding birds. It doesn't have to be too industrial-looking: I'm thinking tall, slender wooden posts, with copper piping between them and central, higher posts from which I'll hang my netting on rope swags.

With careful planning, you can have fresh fruit to pick from May to November, starting with the earliest of gooseberries: trained into cordons, you can plant four different varieties even if all you have is an eight-foot stretch of wall (and still have space for lingonberries at their feet). 'Invicta' is standard-issue and super reliable, but for the best flavour try red 'Whinham's Industry', 'Careless' or vibrant purple 'Lancashire Lad'. Strawberries start around June – plant early, mid-season and late varieties to keep them coming – and can be tucked into more or less any sunny corner. They make wonderful ground cover. Then it's berries all the way: blueberries, whitecurrants, redcurrants, blackcurrants... Raspberries can be lined up along the back, and blackberries, tayberries or loganberries trained to romp over a wall or fence. It's amazing how much fruit you can squeeze into even quite small patches, and best of all, they're all permanent crops, needing little more than an annual prune and a good generous mulch to produce all the fruit you can eat for years to come.

Sally Nex is a garden writer and blogger and part of the BBC Gardening team. Gooseberry Plants For Sale Online | Gooseberry Mail Order delivery charges Collection - If you would like to collect your trees then use this option. Note the collection is from the Wholesale Nursery office between Monday-Friday only. Please allow 1 working days for your order to be processed prior to collection date. We are not a Garden Centre or retail Nursery. Orders can be placed via our website and the collection option can be selected at the checkout. Your order will then be ready for you to collect during our normal opening hours which are Monday-Friday 07.30-16.30. Our plants are grown in fields that can be 2 miles away from our office so it is not possible to just turn up and select your own trees. Delivery Charges - The delivery charge is worked out from the weight and the size of the plant. We have several rates that apply to UK mainland addresses.

The lower postal rates range from £2.80 - £5.70, will be applied to smaller orders of the lighter plants like currants, raspberries, gooseberries, blackberries, asparagus and strawberries although larger orders will go into the £10.00 rate. A higher rate of £18.00 - £32.00 will be charged for deliveries to European Countries and GY KW IV AB PH KW HS ZE IM BT DD JE PO30 PO31 PO32 PO33 PO34 PO35 PO36 PO37 PO38 PO39 PO40 PO41 Postcodes. Once you have put together your order the delivery charge will show before payment. All orders are despatched in one delivery. To take advantage of a promotional code or gift voucher this must be entered into the redeem code box at the checkout. Discounts cannot be given once an order is completed and any codes have not been used. Top rated / best sellers

Question: Keepsake, Invictor, Careless and Lancashire Lad are varieties of which fruit
Answer: Gooseberries